Odishatv Bureau
Kendrapara: With the arrest of two persons, police in Kendrapara district on Thursday claimed to have busted a racket thriving on lifting trucks from national highways and state highways.
 
The gang members were lifting trucks parked on lonely places of highway after subjecting the crews with sedatives.
 
"Two active members of the gang - Naresh Nayak and Sanjay Sahu - have been taken into custody. The duo ran the racket with a gang of accomplices," said Inspector Kendrapara rural police station, Tapas Pradhan.
 
A truck lifted by the duo has been recovered while police believe that the inter-district gang was involved in lifting more than a dozen of trucks from the highways with professional expertise since past three months.
 
The stolen truck was carrying nearly Rs seven lakh worth Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). Besides the recovery of the truck, the IMFL has also been retrieved from them.
 
Picking up the trucks from highways, the gang members who possessed driving skill were dispatching it to other parts of the state. The trucks carrying valuable cargo and goods were often targeted by the gang. The goods fetched them additional money apart from proceeds from the sale of stolen trucks. In the event, prospective buyers were not found, the stolen trucks were left abandoned by the racketeers.
 
"The gang used to target truck drivers who stop at roadside eateries. They used to cultivate friendship with crews of trucks. During the course of taking food at eateries, they used to mix sedatives in food. As the victims begin to lose consciousness following the effect of sedatives, they used to flee with the trucks," Inspector Pradhan said.
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